Sound film projector for television scanning



March 10, 1942. c. F. MATTKE ET AL 2,275,540

SOUND FILM PROJECTOR FOR TELEVISION SCANNING Filed Jan. i0, 1941 70 SOUND AMI? ATTO ventional motion picture films.

7 Patented 10,

2.215.540 com um rsorsc'roa roa scam G urr s'ivrsrorz llattke, rm H ights. 8.1., and

.llontclair, H.

Lallgnarsto telephone Incorporated. New lurk, N. Y a corporation as Newlork AppiieatianJalluai-y 1c, 1941. Serial No. users reclaim. (cl. lie-5's) This invention relates to film projector apparatus and particularly to apparatus for the almultaneous projection of moving picture film imaignals, respectively provided. the film m wrapped around it throughout a substantial fraction of its circum- 'ferentlal arc; and a picture gate is disposed ad- An objectoftheinventionis toeconomiae the space required for the separation distance betweenthepicture light gate andthesoundlight gate, withoutsacrlficing anyprecisionoi'adjm ment of this distance. I

Another object is to provide an improved arrangement for projecting images from continu-.

ously moving film onto a television pick-up device. Another object isto provide improved means for deriving conventional television signals from.

iacentthe circumierenceoi thedrum within the wrapped traction. Abound gate is also disposcd adjacent the circumference of the drum and angularly spaced apart from the picture gate. forexsmple.by90dcgrees. Lightfromonesoln'ce may be projected through the circumference of tbesprccketdnnn.thefihnimagesandtbepicturegate ontoanysuitable for example, a television dissector tube. Light the projected images of continuously moving con- Other objects are toprovide apparatus of this typewhichshallbecompactruggedand con- Accordingtoonesystemfortranslatingthe imagesandthesoundtrackearriedbyasoimd mcvingpicturefilmintotelevisionimagesignals andsoundsignals,respectively.thefilmisled pastthepicture lightgatewlthacontinuousunifilm between these light gates.

Toensureccnstantspeedofaportionofthe film which must uniformly past a light gate, itis common practice to run thefilm over a fiy-wheel, or over a sprocket connected to a fiy-' ,wheel, in the vicinity of the light gate.

In apparatus of known-construction. space must be provided to accommodate two separate light ates and also the separation distance between them. Separate space must also be provided to accommodate the fiy-wheel sprocket. Provision 'must'alsobemade'toholdthefilminadefinite focal planegas it passes each of the light gates.

In pursuance ol the objects of the invention.

oneandthesamespaceisutilizedbothtoaccommodate the fiy-wheel sprocket and to providethe separation distance between the picture light gate and the sound light gate. To this end. an inertia-governed wheel-like film- 1 guiding element, for example, a sprocket drum is from another source may be projected throllsh thesoundgateandthesound'trackofthefilm onto a suitable pick-up device, for example, a photoelectric cell. 1

It is thus a feature of the invention that the sprocket'drum serves three purposes. Byreason of its inertia or that of a fly-wheel mechanically coupledthereto, it maintains constancy of film speed past both the picture gate and the sound gate; its cylindrical surface holds the part of e'achfilmimage which mustbeprojectedinsharp .focus in a definite focal plane; and at the same time the constant separation between the two gates is simply and continuously secured by an angular spacing around the periphery of the drum. without the necessity for providing additional space for the sole purpose ofaccommodating the light gate separation.

The invention will be more iully understood: from the following detailed description of a preferred illustrative embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the appended drawing, in:

which:

Fig. 1 is a diagram in perspective illustrating a preferred arrangement of apparatus in accordance with the invention and its mode of operation: and

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an arrangement of optical elements which may advantageously be included in the sound system of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing. a motion picture film ll -bearing a succession of picture images ll andasoundtrack llisledfromamagazine, not shown, over a feed sprocket ll. past guide sprockets or rollers II and II, over a light shield element it, around a substantial fraction of the circumference of a main sprocket drum II which the film ll snugLv embraces, past idler guide sprockets or rollers" and 2t and back past the opposite or take-up side of the feed sprocket i3. whence it may pass into any suitable storage magazine. Idlers 21 may be placedradjacent the periphery oi the feed sprocket it to ensure that image pick-up device;

the sprocket teeth shall correctly engage the holes in the films The idlers l and serve the same purpose with respect to the main sprocket l1.

' These sprockets may all advantageously be mounted within a single housing 23, the pins or axes on which the sprockets rotate beingw supported by an inside wall of the housing and arranged parallel to each other. Movement may be imparted to the film through rotation of both the feed sprocket I3 and the main sprocket H, as by a constant speed motor, for example a synchronous motor 24, through a coupling shaft and reduction gears 26 and 21. The feed sprocket.

l3 may be rigidly coupled tothe motor. The main sprocket I1, however, is preferably not rigidly coupled to the motor 24. Rather, the motor is geared to a spider 28 which is mounted on motion of that part of the film which is close to or in contact with the circumference of the main sprocket l1. Thisfiltering'action is further assisted byvibration-absorbing jackets in which the springs are encased. Damping is increased by friction of the film ll] on the cylindrical surface of the-shield l6, maintained under light tension between the main sprocket l1 and the guide sprocket [5 by slight friction in the bearing of the sprocket l5 or the [roller l4 as may be preferred. The main sprocket l1 itself is preferably an open-ended drum Having a plurality of uniform- "1y spaced openings- [8 arranged in a row on its circumference between the two circumferential rows of sprocket teeith. The teeth and the openings maybe arranged with respect to each other and with respect to the film with which the apparatus is destined to be used so that when the teeth are fitted' into corresponding holes on the margin of the film .successive film images or frames come into registry with successive periph- The gate 43 is preferably placed as shown in Fig. 1 on a line joining the 'center of rotation of the sprocket drum H to the approximate center of the arc throughout which the film l0 wraps it.

The film I0 is maintained precisely in correct alignment by its snug engagement with the circumference of the drum throughout this arc. Its arcuate form gives it stillness against bending transversely of its length. Thus as the sprocket drum l1 rotates successive film images are projected on the photoelectric cathode of the dissector and traverse it from side to side. Since, however, each film image lies in a curved surface, all parts of the optical image thereof formed on the photoelectric cathode may not be in sharp focus, but a narrow band of each film image, extending transversely of the film and lying at the intersection of the film with a horizontal diameter of the sprocket drum I}, may be brought into sharp focus on the photoelectric cathode by the lens 44.' As the sprocket drum H'rotates, this. film band travels from bottom to top of each film image in succession so that images of the band, as it occupies successive positions on the film, occupysubstantially the same position on the photocathode.

The dissector, which operates in accordance with the principles set forth in Farnsworth Patent 1,773,980, comprises an evacuated envelope 45, a photoelectric cathode 46, a target 41 disposed behind an aperture in an anode 48, a focussing coil 49 and horizontal and vertical de fiecting elements such as coils 50 and 5|. The

electrodes and coils are connected to suitable potential sources, for example, .to batteries 54,

and 56 and suitable sources of defiecting'cur- ,.appear as voltage drops across; the resistor 51,

eral openings at the front of the drum, while the I shaft 33 to'permit of the placement within it of.

certain optical apparatus.

-- A suitable light source, such as an electric are or a high power lamp) is arranged to project a beam of light through a lens 4| onto a right angled prism 42 which may be disposed within the overhanging portion of the sprocket drum l1 and supported in any suitable fashion, for example fixed to the housing 23 by brackets. This prism deflects the beam of the source 40 to illu- /mi,nate successive images of the film l0, exposed in the openings I8, as they successively occupy the forward portion of the drum l1 within the arc of wrap. The film images thus illuminated may then be translated into vision signals in accordance with any desired plan, for example, they maybe imaged throughan aperture or gate -43, which may be a suitably placed hole in the wall of the housing 23, and a lens 44 onto a photoelectric cathode of a television camera such vision currents may then be drawn.

which voltage drops may be supplied to any suitable amplifier or other apparatus and transmitted to a visionAreceiver.

In accordance with the invention, it is contemplated that the television camera tube shall scan successive image points of each line of the film images (or electron images thereof), that is to say that the television camera device shall perform the horizontal line scanning operation, while vertical or frame scanning is effected in the main by movement of the film itself in the course of rotation of the sprocketl1. Therefore, the vertical scanning coil 5| and its associated saw-toothed generator 53 may be omitted from the dissector, and the apparatus adjusted in such away that the electron image formed in the of the resulting optical image on the ph0t0-' and utilize the vertical scanning elements of the dissector in order to limit the scanning principally to the image frames themselves and scan the intermediate blank spaces which separate the successive image frames of the film only to I the small extent consistent with current television practice. Thus, if picture film of the standard variety is employed in which the spac ing bars occupy about percent of the centerfilm image band movement at a speed of, for

example, 8 per cent of the film speed over each frame and utilize the remaining 7 per cent for comparatively rapid fly-back at times when the blank spaces between film frames would otherwise be scanned. The signal currents drawn from the dissector target will thus conform to present day television standards in which about 7 per cent of the total scanning time is allotted to vertical blanking.

A small amount of vertical scanning offers a further important advantage in that it prevents a streakiness in the received image which would result without it. If no vertical sweep were employed, the electrons received by the target 4i would all originate from the same horizontal line of the photocathode l6, and unavoidable minute irregularities of the surface and photosensitivity of the latter would be reproduced in turn in the distribution of electrons in the phalanx, in the vision currents drawn from the target 41 and finally as vertical streaks in the received image. By the preferred small amount of vertical sweep, the portion of the cathode from which the electrons are gathered is continually shifted with the result that the streaks cannot be observed.

In order to transmit from standardized motion picture film bearing images intended for intermittent projection at the rate of twentyfour frames per second and at the same'time meet the present television standards of the Radio Manufacturers Association, namely, transmission of thirty complete images per second, 441 lines'interlaced, a special intermediate film may advantageously be employed on which are two successive duplicates of the first original image, three of the second, two of the third, three of the fourth and so on. When this special film is run through the apparatus at the rate of sixty frames per second, the horizontal sweep generator 52 beingadjusted to sweep the phalanx over the target 220.5 times during the passage of each frame past the picture gate, the vision signals are practically identical with those that result from the standard television practice of four hundred forty-one lines interlaced scanning of thirty frames per second, and can be correctly reconstituted by a standard television receiver. The special intermediate film, if its frames are of standard size, is stretched as compared with standard twenty-four frames per second film in the ratio of 60 to 24 or 5 to 2. The sound track is. of course, stretched in the same ratio.

The apparatus of the invention, however, is by no means limited to use with such special film. For example, standard twenty-four frames per second film may be employed and scanned sequentially. In such case, of course, the signals will not be of standard variety and adjustment or modification will be required in the receiver to enable it to reconstitute them correctly.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, any suitable apparatus or methods may be employed to hold the transmitter and receiver in synchronism with one another. Since they form no part of the invention, they have in the interests of simplicity been omitted from the drawi118.

of the special intermediate type or of the standard variety, there is provided a second optical system, comprising a source, optical light defiecting elements, a light gate and a photo-electric cell. The light gate may advantageously be an aperture whose length does not exceed the width of the sound track of the film III. This gate may be disposed in the upper surface of the shield l6 over which the film is drawn and against which it is maintained in close contact by tension between the main sprocket l1 and the auxiliary sprocket l5.

Referring additionally to Fig. 2 which shows the arrangement of the optical elements and the path of the light beam, the beam from the source 60, which may comprise an elongated filament, is first projected in a downward direction, converged by a lens 6|, deflected into a horizontal direction by a prism 62 and again deflected into a vertical direction by a prism 53 onto the sound track I2 of the film ii). The lens .6! is preferably arranged to focus an image of th filament of the lamp lid on the film within the sound light gate. This sharply illuminated portion of the film is then imaged by the spherical lenses 64 on the masking slit 65, and the light passing therethrough is then diffused by the cylindrical lens 65. to flood the cathode of the photoelectric cell 61, which translates variations of the intensity of the light impinging .on it into sound signals which may appear as voltagedrops across the resistor 68, whence they may be fed to a suitable amplifier. The aperture of the system as a whole is determined by the width of the slit 65 which, if desired, may be adjustable.

The prism 53, lenses 64 and 66, the slit 65 and the photoelectric cell 61 may be conveniently mounted in the housing 23 or in another housing fixed with respect thereto, while the lamp 60, lens 6! and prism 62 may conveniently be mounted on the reverse side of the housing ,so that the back of the housing provides aconvenient partition to prevent stray light from the source from 'reziching the photoelectric cell 61.

In such case the beam between the prism 62 and the prism 63 passes through an aperture in this partition.

The initial projection of the beam in a vertical instead of a horizontal direction is of advantage inasmuch as with thisarrangement any displacement of the filament from its proper position due to sagging under the action of its own heat and gravity is manifested as a displacement of the filament image in the line of the optical axis of the system which merely reduces the sharpness of the focus on the sound light gate, and not as a lateral displacement of the image from the gate. I

In order to investigate the behavior for example, the resolution of the television components of the system, it maybe desirable on occasion to project a still picture or image on the photoelectric cathode 46 of thedissector or other television camera device. This is simply accomplished with the apparatus of the preferred arrangement shown in Fig. 1 by the provision of means such as a frame into which such a picture may be inserted. To this end the picture gate 43 For translating the sound record which ap- I pears on the sound track of the film l0, whether is provided with slots placed to fit a standard motion picture frame and when such a frame is placed therein it may be projected with light of the source 40 through the elements ll, 42 and it onto the photocathode 46, without in any way altering or readjusting the apparatus except to readjust the focus of lenses 4i and M3. For this purpose it is only necessary to rotate the sprocket drum, il until the light path from the source id to the gate 43 is not blocked either by one of the ,bars, it or by a film image covering one of the apertures i8.

What is claimed is:

i. The combination with a wheel-like rotatable element, the peripheral portion of which is in partat least light conducting and of width as great as that of a motion picture film, of means for continuously rotating said element, reels and guides for holding and guiding a motion picture film to cause portions of it to successively contact the outer surface of said peripheral portion and to move therewith, means for scanning each frame of said film in transverse elemental strips so that each strip at a particular instant in the course of scanning said strip occupies a position in space which difiers from but greatly overlaps the position occupied by a subsequently scanned strip of said frame at a corresponding instant in the course of its scanning, said scanning means including means for j posed with its diametral surface adjacent the circumference of said sprocket, said shield having' a slot piercing the portion more remote from I said sprocket, a television pick-up device, a photoelectric cell, a filmcarrying a row of discrete images and a continuous sound track passing over a circumferential arc of said sprocket and over said shield, means for passing a light [beam through said circumferential sprocket arc and said film to. project said successive film images onto said pick-up device, and means for passing another light beam between said sprocket and said shield, through thepslot of said shield and said sound track to .saidphotoelectric cell, the axes of said light beams lying substantially at right angles to each other.

Vance said film past said picture gate and said light gate.

4. In the art of. television, means for scanning a picture film comprising a succession of frames to set up currents representative of the tone values of parallel elemental transverse strips of said film, said means comprising a Wheel-like structure the rim of which is provided with a series of like openings of approximately. the size and shape of the picture portion of a frame of said film, the centers of said openings all lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said wheel-like structure, rotating driving means for continuously rotating said wheel-like structure, means for maintaining the periphery of eachframe of said film, while said frame is being scanned, in close engagement with the outside of said run with its picture portion in substantial registry with one of said openings, means for directly coupling said driving means to said wheel-like structure, the rotating system com prising said driving means and said wheel-like 'structure being massive and resiliently coupled sound-track reading means adjacent said wheel- 7 to a driving motor to cause said wheel-like structure to rotate with continuous steady movement substantially unafiected by any variable drag thereon by said film, and means cooperating with said wheel-like structure for scanning each of said frames along parallel elemental transverse strips thereof comprising means for transmitting a light 'beam through. said openings and said frames in succession as said wheel-like structure rotates including an optical element inside said wheel-like structure in the path of said beam.

5. In the art of television, means-for scanning a picture film comprising a succession of frames and a sound track to simultaneously set-up currents representative of the tone values of parallel elemental transverse strip of said film and of the variations of said sound track respectively, said means comprising a wheel-like structure the rim of which is provided with a series of like openings of approximately the size and shape of the picture portion of a frame of said film, driving] means for continuously rotating said wheel-like structure, means for maintaining the periphery of each frame of said film, while said frame is being scanned, in close engagement with the outside of said rim with its picture portion in substantial registry with one of said openings, means cooperating with said wheel-like structure for scanning each of said frames along parallelelemental transverse strips thereof comprising means for transmitting a light beam through said '3. A sound-film projector for televisioncomprising'a film sprocket, a film passing about a.

circumferential arc of said sprocket and snugly engaging said arc, means for projecting a beam of light through saidcircumferential arc to illuminate an area of said film, a picture gate adjacent said circumferential arc, a television pick up device comprising an image-receiving -eleimage of said narrow band in a direction trans- .verse to the length of-said film, a sound gate adjacent the periphery of said sprocket and angularly displaced from said picture gate,- and means for uniformly rotating said film sprocket to adopenings and said frames in succession as said wheel-like structure rotates including an optical element inside said wheel-like structure in the path of said beam, and means adjacent the outside rim of said wheel-like structure having a curved surface over which means said film passes in contact with said curved surface, the curved surface of said last-mentioned means having an opening in substantial registry with said sound track offering continuous free passage to a beam of light, and means for continuously passing a beam of lightt-hrough said film and said opening to" a light sensitive element for. reading said sound track.

6. In apparatus for deriving vision signals from successive discrete frame images bor'ne by a motion picture film and sound signals from a continuous sound track home by said film, a rotatable film sprocket, a shield adjacent the outer periphery of said sprocket having a curved face pierced by an opening, a television pick-up device disposed adjacent said sprocket on a line substantially at right angles to a line joining said tensity projected thereon, means for guiding a film bearing a series of discrete image frames and V a continuous sound track about a circumferential arc of said sprocket and the curved face'of said shield, means fol-imparting continuous uniform rotation to said sprocket and thus to the portion of said film which is guided about said circumferential are, means for passing a light beam through said circumferential sprocket arc and said film to project an image of said continuously moving film portion onto said pick-up device, and means for passing another light beam between said sprocket and the curved face of said shield, through said opening and said sound track to said photoelectric cell.

'7. In apparatus for deriving vision signals from successive discrete frame images borne by a motion picture film and sound signals from a continuous sound track home by said film, a mass-controlled rotatable film sprocket, a shield adjacent the outer periphery of said sprocket having a curved face pierced .by a slit, a television pick-up device disposed adjacent said sprocket on a line substantially at right angles to a line joining said shield to the axis of said sprocket, which pick-up device is arranged to deliver vision signals in response to a moving image projected thereon, a photoelectric cell arranged to deliver sound signals in response to a light beam of varying intensity projected thereon, means for guiding a. film bearing a series of discrete image frames and a continuous sound track about a circumferential arc of said sprocket and the curved face of said shield, means for imparting continuous uniform rotation to said sprocket and thus to a portion of said filmwhich is guided about said circumferential are, means for passing a light beam through said circumferential sprocket arc and said film to project an image of said continuously moving film portion onto said pick-up device, and means for passing another light beam between said sprocket and the curved face of said shield, through said slit and said sound track to said photoelectric cell.

8. In apparatus for deriving vision signals from successive discrete frame images borne by amotion picture film and sound signals from a continuous sound track borne by said film, a wheel-like rotatable member arranged to be wrapped throughout a substantial part of its circumferential are by said film, the circumference of said member being :light conducting throughout parts thereof which come into registry with film frame images, means for imparting continuous substantially uniform rotation to said member, an image receiving screen, means for projecting a beam of light along a diameter'of said wheel-like member through a light-conducting part of the circumference thereof and through a portion of a film frame image instantaneously in registry with said light conducting circumferentialpart to form on said screen an image of said film frame image portion, means for deriving vision signals from said partial image and from succeeding similar partial images, which signal-deriving means include means for scanning each of said partial images, along transverse elemental strips each of which occupies a position which differs from but great- 1y overlaps the position occupied by a strip subsequently scanned.

9. In apparatus for deriving vision signals, from V image receiving screen, means for projecting a beam of light along a diameter of said wheellike member through a light-conducting part of the circumference thereof and through a portion of a film frame image instantaneously in registry with said light-conducting circumferential part to form on said screen an image of said film frame image portion, means for deriving vision signals from said partial image and from succeeding similar partial images, which signal-deriving means include means for scanning each of said partial images along ,transverse elemental strips each of which occupies a position which differs from but, greatly overlaps the position occupied by a strip subsequently scanned, and stationary film soundtrack reading means adjacent the circumference of said wheel-like member.

10.1n apparatus for deriving vision signals from successive discrete frame images borne by a motion picture film and sound signals from a continuous sound track borne by said film, a wheel-like rotatable member arranged to be wrapped throughout a part of its circumferential are by said film, the circumference of said member being light conducting throughout parts thereof which come into registry with film frame images, means for imparting continuous uniform rotation to said member, a source'of light, a television pick-up device including an image re-# ceiving screen and means for scanning said screen along transverse elemental lines to derive vision signals varying independence on the light-tone values of successive areas of an image formed on said screen, means for projecting a. beam of light of said source along a diameter of said wheel-like member, through a lightconducting part'of the circumference thereof and through a portion of a film frame image instantaneously in registry with said light-conducting circumferential part to form on said screen an image of said film frame image portion, and means for causing said successive transverse elemental scanning lines to greatly but not entirely overlap each other. 7

11. In apparatus for deriving vision signals from successive discrete frame images borne-by a motion picture film and sound signals from a continuous sound track borne by said film, a wheel-like rotatable member arranged to be wrapped throughout a part of its circumferential are by said film', the circumference of said member being light conducting throughoutmarts the'reofwhich come mm registry with film image formed on said screen, means for projecting a beam of light of said source along a diameter of said wheel-like member, through a light-conducting part of the circumference thereof and through a portion of a fihn frame image instantaneously in registry with said light-conducting circumferential part to form on said screen an image of said film frame image portion, and means for causing said successive transverse elemental scanning lines to greatly but not entirely overlap each other, the ratio of scanning line advance to scanning line pitch being equal to or less than the ratio of film frame image separation distance to film frame image pitch.

12. In apparatus for deriving vision signals from successive discrete frame images borne by a motion picture film and sound signals from a continuous sound track borne by said film, a

wheel-like rotatable member arranged to be wrapped throughout a substantial part of its circumferential are by said film, the circumference of said member being light conducting tion, means for deriving vision signals from said partial image and from succeeding similar partial images, which signal-deriving means in-' clude means for scanning'each of said partial images along transverse elemental lines which occupy positions which differ from but greatly overlap the positions of adjacent lines when scanned, and stationary film sound track reading means adjacent the circumference of said wheel-like member. CHARLES F. MA'I'I'KE.

ROY V. TERRY. 

